The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-08
GETTYSBURG, PA. Sent. 10. 1s87

GETTYSBURG, IA, Sept. 10, 1887.
Hon. VIM. B. Allison, Dubuque, Iopa:
Ny Dear Sir-The Statement" to which
you ask my attention, respecting President
Clevelands official record on Union soldiers, .
copied from the National Review, Wash
ington Cd. CO. weekly paper, bears the marks
of preparation for purpose. That purpose
is to show that the Cleveland Administration
is more entitled to the respect and confidence
OF the Union soldiery of the country than
the administration of either Grant or Hayes
or Arthur. 1t seeks to make the impression
that Cleveland has been more liberal and
more just to the soldiery than either of his
predecessors. And it claims, in terms, that
Cleveland has approved n more private pen
sion bills than Grant and HAYES combined
and 127 more than Arthur.
The statement is false both in its asser-
tions and its suggestions.
First. As to its assertions. The pension
story of the Forty-ninth Congress is this:
Penslon bills passed in the two sessions, 949
Bills approved by Cleveland, G68
Bills vetoed by Cleveland, l24
BIS become laws by lapse of time with
out Cleyeland's approval, 15o
Bill ''pocketed' by Cleveland,
Total, e4s
OF the bills passed. "a were in the first ses-
sion of that Congress and POP in the second
session.
OF the bills vetoed, 101 were in the first
session and % in the second
or the bills become laws without the Pres
ident's signature, 1854 were in the first session
and in the secobd.
The 'pocketed" bill was in the first ses-
sion.
/ make up this table from the Congression-
al RECORD, the United States Statutes and
hn hnG l.
actly correct.
The truth, therefore, is that President
Cleveland approved" about two thirds of
the bills passed. vetoed over one eighth
and lodged" as to the remainder
Second. As to the suggestions of the state
ment. its purpose is to contrast the Grant.
Hayes and Arthur Pension records with
Cleveland's, to the advantage of the latter.
Now what are the facts about those Admin
istratiOns?
Grant Administrations, Grant vetoed eight.
Two, because the claimants names were
then on the pension roll. Another, because
the clause in the act about the minor chill
dren of the soldier had no meaning. Three
were vetoed because the names of the claim
ants were borne on the army rolls as desert
ers. Another, because the name of the pen
sioner was not correctly given And the
last, because the soldiers company was not
correctly stated He signed 4S5. This is
What Is Hayes and Arthur's record
Under Hayes, 303 private pension bills were
passed He approved them all.
Under Arthur, 736 private pension bills
were passed by Congress. He approved
them all
Cleveland's approyals were but G6s ont of
$40 passed, and are thus 120 less than Grants
and Hayes combined. and 6S less than
Arthurs, out OF total 1853 greater than the
formers and 2l3 greater than the latter.
Inc contrast is what might have been ex-
pected in advance of investigation. Grant
Hayes and Arthur were all actually engaged
IN the suppression of the rebellion, and were
IN full personal sympathy with the armies of
the Union. Cleyeland's record as President
Is not out Of harmony with his passiyeness
as a citizen during the struggle
1t is true, as claimed, that Cleveland signed
the widows Increase bill and the Crippled
Soldiers Increase bill. 1t is also true that
he signed the Mexican War Pension bill,
which awards service pension as distin-
gulshed from disability pension to the
soldiers OF that war. But it is also true that
within ten days thereafter he vetoed the bill
which proposed application of substantially
the same principle to the soldiers of the army
OF the Union. His friends have the floor to
allgn mat extraordinary discrimination
against the Union soldiery with this extra
ordinary pretention of friendship for them.
1T Is part OF the same programme To
claim. also, that at this date there are more
Union soldiers in the government service
than at any previous period This ought tn
be true, considering that the laws Inherited
by TINS administration from its predecessors
distinctly direct that preference shall always
be given, other things being equal. TO the
honorably discharged Union soldiers. If it
be not true, this administration must have
steadily violated this law. But in view of
the proved mlsstatements touching pension
bills, and of what is known concerning the
methods adopted in filling those classes of
appointments to which the civil service law
was construed not to apply, and as to which,
therefore, there was held to be Lo limit to
the discretion Of the appointing power. | am
warranted in saying that until this last
claim be clearly proved by published lists of
removals and appointments made it must
suffer from the dlscredlt thrown upon its
twin.
Undoubtedly the Pension Office is doing
great deal of work. Congress intended that
1t should, when the additional agents and
clerks literally given that Office TO meet the
new and increasing demands upon it left its
Chief without excuse for delays. Had the
Commissioner of Pensions been less vigor-
GUS in administration, he would have simply
been derelict in duty. But that fact does
not hide from the public the other fact that
while he has been granting many pensions
to Union soldiers and widely advertising it,
his own immediate chief, and, indeed, the
whole administration have been engaged,
without advertising it, in making an aver
age, by providing comfortable and response
PIE department positions for large numbers
Oh T REPRESENTATIVE Ku,Klux Of 1869
ms has certain elements of fitness in it.
An administration which was made by the
hh dLjAlux possibility in our politics could
hardly De expected to be Indifferent to the
Il nta OF the agents who chiefly brought
a contrast between Grant and Cleveland.
ara. Iraht dld release from the penitentiary near
the close OF their term Of imprjso1ment
some 9i the R5-Kux leaders who professed
iPs at a M anu promised obedience to law.
him the administration of the government mt
That browning act of indifference n maiie'
nant crime against citizens ship was reserved
for an administration which contains with
in its circles of department chiefs not one
man with the reputation Of having actively
helped his country in its hour of peril, and